This year during Advent, New Hope Chapel will be focusing on the women of Jesus’ genealogy and their connection to the life and ministry of the Messiah. These are from our readings during the worship service.
Imagine an arranged marriage, where you’re taken far from your country, your people, and your culture, and brought some place new. Imagine marrying someone you never met, and then becoming a widow shortly after – with no children and no future.
That’s Tamar’s story – a story of sorrow and rejection. She was a Gentile woman, acquired by Judah (the oldest of Jacob’s sons) as a wife for his son Er. When Er died, Tamar was not given the opportunity to bear children through the Leverate marriage custom. Her new family rejected her. Her brother-in-law used her. And Judah considered her to be bad luck, and wouldn’t permit her access to his sons.
In desperation, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced her own father-in-law Judah, while not revealing her true identity. A few months later, word spread that Tamar had become pregnant because of prostitution, and in a twist of irony and self-righteousness, Judah demanded her execution (not realizing that he was in fact the father).
But when Tamar discreetly revealed to Judah his part in the act, he recanted of his self-righteous position and repented for not allowing her the full benefits of Leverate marriage to which she was entitled. He confessed saying, “She is more righteous than I,” and because of that, her life was spared. Judah would never again defile her, and as for Tamar, she would later bear twins – Perez and Zerah.
The story of Tamar parallels a familiar one found in the Gospel. Just as Judah came to Tamar’s rescue, Jesus rescued the woman caught in adultery. The “righteous” men of the city were prepared to execute adulterous women, but they were unwilling to admit their own guilt. Jesus, though he was sinless in the matter, didn’t respond with threats of execution like the other self-righteous and religious did. Instead He responded with words of kindness, forgiveness, and freedom. “Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more.” Instead of condemning the woman to death, He liberated the woman to new life.
The story of Tamar – the first woman listed in Jesus’ genealogy is a bizarre story, and one might ask, “Why did God choose to include this woman in Jesus’ genealogy? Why not include one of the more moral examples from around the time of the Patriarchs– Sarah, Rebekah, or Rachel?” But there is something about Tamar’s story that speaks to the person of Jesus. He was despised and rejected much like his ancestor Tamar. He was denied His own rights. As Isaiah refers to our Messiah, He indeed was a man of sorrows.
Jesus is the God of the rejected and the broken hearted. He experienced rejection – no place to be born, and His own people hastened His execution. In His heart, there is a place for those who have had their rights denied, their dignity refused, and who like Tamar find themselves in a place of hopelessness. Jesus, welcomes all of our sorrows, all of our burdens, all of our fears, and our rejections. He accepts our brokenness, never denying the contrite spirit or the broken heart. His words are words of kindness – “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” May we in turn embrace and emulate the Messiah’s spirit of humility and kindness.